Method and apparatus for detecting accumulations of materials in coal washers and ore concentrators



M. CHANCE T. METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTING ACCUMULATIONS OFMATERIALS IN COAL WASHERS AND ORE CONCENTRATORS Filed Aug. 5, 1924Wiinwses: v Inventor M AKA A f4 2;. 4

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Patented Oct. 2, 1928.

PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS IM. CHANCE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTING ACCUMULA'IIONS OF MATERIALS IN COALWASHERS AND ORE CONCENTRATORS.

Application filed August 5, 1924. Serial No. 730,160.

My invention relates to the operation of coal washers, ore concentratorsand the like in which separation is efiected by the sinking of theheavier materials through a liquid and particularly through a separatingliquid medium of the type I have described as a fluid mass in PatentNo.1,224,138 issued May 1, 1917, No. 1,392,399 issued October 4, 1921 andNo. 1,462,881 issued July 24, 1923, and is especially directed to suchdevices in which the heavier materials are periodically,

intermittently or continuously removed from the bottom or lower part ofthe apparatus at predetermined intervals or at intervals determined bythe accumulation of said materials.

The principal objects of my invention are to provide a means whereby theamount of such accumulations or the accumulation of materials at afaster rate than their rate of removal may be detected or indicated, sothat it may be possible either to retain any predetermined quantity ofsuch accumulated materials in the lower part of the apparatus, or toinsure its removal at a rate that will prevent such accumulation. Otherobjects of my invention are to provide a separating apparatus of thetype contemplated, with means whereby the accumulation of 0 materials ata rate faster than the rate of their removal may be automaticallydetected and indicated, sald means being cooperative with theaccumulated materials to effect the actuation of visible or audiblesignalling devices, and may be independently or cooperatively associatedwith recording registering appliances and with means arranged to effectthe retention and discharge of said accumulated materials.

The most simple form of apparatus for carrying out my invention consistsof a de tector rod or shaft extending into the separating receptaclecontaining said fluid mass and so mounted as to be readily movable toengage with accumulations of materials,

whereby the presence of accumulated material may be indicated ordetected by the resistance to movement of the detector that suchaccumulation afiords. Such detector rod may preferably be provided withan arm, or may be bentor provided with one or more wings or projectionsthrough the resistance to the movement of which the presence ofaccumulations of solid materials can be detected or indicated withcertainty.

Such detector may be so mounted in a hearing in the wall of thereceptacle, as to be readily rotated, gyrated, revolved, reciprocated orotherwise actuated in said bearing, that portion of the rod inside thereceptacle preferably being provided by a projection which upon contactwith solid materials will offer resistance to rotation, gyration orreciprocation, but such rojection is not essential if the rod is to eoperated solely by reciprocation. It will be understood'that anydeflection of the rod from astraight line, as a bending of a portion'ofthe rod, is the equivalent of a projection in resistin movement. Suchdetectors can be operated by hand, but in many cases it will bedesirable to operate them mechanically and to operatively connect themto gongs, annunciator systems, visual indicators, recording registers torecord the presence 0i an accumulation of said materials, and to meansfor controlling the removal of the accumulated materials so that theapparatus automatically controls the quantity of accumulated materialspermitted to remain in the lower part of the separator.

My invention also includes all of the various novel features ofconstruction and arrangement as hereinafter more definitely specified.

In the drawings, Fig. I is a vertical crosssection and elevation of aseparator or concentrator of the inverted cone type, showing myinvention in its most simple form, consisting of an indicator ordetector so mounted that it can be reciprocated, oscillated or revolvedby hand. Fig. II is an enlarged vertical cross-section of a portion ofthe separator shown by Fig. I showing a pair of detectors arranged toautomatically indicate the presence of a large quantity of accumulatedmaterials or the absence of such accumulations. Fig. III is a similarenlargement of a portion of Fig. I and illustrates the use of a singlereciprocating detector to indicate the presence and quantity of suchaccumulations.

The mechanical construction of apparatus whereby my invention may beoperated can be greatly varied by those skilled in the art ofconstructing automatic indicating, annuni ciator, registering andcontrol appliances.

Continuous recording apparatus may be operatively connected to anymechanically operated form of apparatus used in carrying out myinvention and a record obtained of the height of accumulated materialsin the separator covering any desired period. The gong or annunciatormay be replaced by or supplemented by a visual indicator, these beingused separately or jointly, and with or without recording devices, orwith or without means operatively connected to control the removal ofthe heavier materials from the separator.

The drawing Fig. I shows the general assembly of elements in a type ofcoal separator used at some of the anthracite coal mines inPennsylvania, in which 1 is the separating tank or receptacle containinga fluid mass 2 with a superposed body of water 3, a revolving agitatorshaft 4, carrying agitator arms 5, a feed chute 6, a chute 7 forreturning sand and water to the tank 1, a discharge weir 8 and chutewith desanding and dewatering screen 9, an extension of tank 1 in theform of a pipe or conduit 10, upper discharge slide valve 11 operated bythrust cylinder 12, a refuse chamber 13, a lower discharge slide valve14 operated by thrust cylinder 15 and a refuse chute 16. l/Vater underpressure for agitatingthe fluid mass 2 is admitted from pipe 17 throughcontrol valve 18 to the lower part of the pipe or conduit 10.

The drawing shows one of the most simple forms of detector as a rod 19bent in the form of a letter L and passing through an opening in thelower part of the cone. It is provided with a handle, may be given areciprocating or rotating motion by hand, and affords a simple andefiicient means for detecting the presence of accumulations of theheavier materials that have sunk through the fluid mass,

such accumulations being recognized by the resistance they offer tomovement of the detector 19. By connecting the handle of the detector 19to movable and suitable rods, links, cords, chains, or the like, thedetector may be operated from any desired point.

In Fig. II detectors in the form of slowly revolving screws areillustrated which operate by the thrust on the screw to make or break anelectric annunciator circuit, the screw or threaded shaft 20 revolvablyand slidably mounted in the bearings and bracket 21 carries a pulley 22or gear by which it is slowly revolved. In the absence of anaccumulation of solids in contact with the screw of shaft 20 the shaftis held in place by the spring 23 but if solid material accumulates incontact with the screw the spring 23 is compressed and the shaft 20moves to the right closing the electric circuit through circuit breaker24. and actuating annunciator system 25. The action of the lowerdetector 20 is the reverse of that described, the presence of anaccumulation of materials in con- In Fig. III the detector is a rod 26having an enlargement on its upper end shown asa conical head 27. Therod is supported in bearings 28, 28 and is periodically pushed upwardlyby the clutch 29 which is rigidly attached to connecting rod 30 and isrecipro- V cated by crank 31 driven in the direction indicated by thearrow by the pulley 32. The connecting rod 30 is made of elasticmaterial so that it may yield slightly by bending and thus prevent thesharp binding edges of clutch 29 from cutting into the metal of detectorrod 26. The detector rod is thus pushed upwardly through a portion ofthe up stroke of connecting rod 30, While during the balance of the saidupstroke and during the down stroke of connecting rod 30 the clutch 29does not bind or hold detector rod 26 which is thus free to fall underby its own weight and any additional force such as a spring or weight 33operatively connected to 26 by a cord or chain 34. The presence of anaccumulation of materials below the head or enlargement 27 prevents thedetector rod from falling, and the depth of the accumulation ofmaterials is therefore shown by the position of the pointer 35 attachedto rod 26, with reference to the indicator scale 36.

It is evident that two or more detectors of the described type can beused to detect the presence of larger or smaller quantities of suchaccumulated materials more accurately than can be indicated by a singledetector.

I do not limit myself to the specific forms, precise details or types ofapparatus shown by the drawings as these are intended to illustratediagrammatically variations in the con struction of the essentialelements of my invention as herein described and claimed.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A method of separating materials of different specific gravitieswhich consists in immersing said materials in an agitated mixture ofliquid with comminuted solids heavier than the lighter of said materialsand heavier than said liquid and substantially insoluble therein andconstituting a fluid mass having a specific gravity intermediate theheavier and lighter of said materials, in introducing liquid underpressure through an accumulation of said heavier materials below saidfluid mass, whereby said fluid is agitated by said upwardly risingliquid and its fluidic properties and its specific gravity aremaintained and controlled, in supplying a source of energy extraneous tosaid accumulations, in applying a force of predetermined intensity incounteracting said energy, in applying said energy so counteracted toSaid accumulation,

whereby the presence of said accumulation is indicated by its resistanceto said energy, in indicating the locus of application of said force bysaid resistance, in downwardly removing some of said accumulation whenthe quantity of said a rumulation exceeds a predetermlned lIlaXlLluJl'land in limiting the quantity of said accumulation so removed, whereby apredetermined quantity of said accumulation is maintained below saidfluid mass.

2. Apparatus for separating materials of different specific gravitiescomprising a receptacle adapted to contain an agitated mixture of liquidand solids heavier than the lighter of said materials and constituting afluid mass of specific gravity intermediate the heavier and lighter ofsaid materials, a fluid mass of the described type in said receptacle,means for introducing liquid under pressure at a point located below thebase of said receptacle, means for applying a force to an accumulationof the heavier materials below the said fluid mass, means for applying apredetermined resistance to said force, I said means comprising anelement in operative relation to said accumulation and in operativerelation to said restrainingmeans, means for indicating the location ofthe pointat which the resistance of said accumulation tends to Irestrain further movement of said element,

means for downwardly removing said accumulation, and means for limitingthe quantity of material so removed.

3. Apparatus for separating materials of diflerentspecific gravitiescomprising a receptacle adaptedto contain an agitated mixture of liquid,and solids heavier than the lighter of said materials and constituting afluid mass of specific gravity intermediate the heavier and lighter ofsaid materials, a fluid mass of the described type in said receptacle,means for introducing liquid under pressure at a point located below thebase of said receptacle, means for applying a force to an accumulationof the heavier materials below the said fluid mass, means for applying apredetermined force partially to counteract said force, said meanscomprising a continuously moving element in the lower part of saidreceptacle adapted to be moved by the resistance of said accumulations,means for indicating such movement of said element, whereby the presenceor absence of said accumulations at the locus of said element isindicated, means for downwardly removing said accumulations and meansfor limiting the quantity of said accumulations so removed.

Signed at Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania this 4th day ofAugust, 1924.

THOMAS M. CHANCE.

